Fastening means for cases



A ril 16, 1935.

O. P BEREIT FASTENING MEANS FOR CASES Filed NOV. 19, 1934 Patented Apr. 16, 1935 PATENT" or ies FASTENING MEANS FOR CASES Otto P. Bereit, Defiance, Ohio, assignor to The Defiance Pressed Steel Company, Defiance, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application November 19, 1934, Serial No. 753,633

5 Claims.

This invention relates particularly to fastening means for the covers of article-carrying cases of the hinged cover type and which have a pivoted handle to facilitate carrying.

The object of the invention is the provision of a simple and efficient means in cooperation with the handle of such cases for securely fastening the cover in closed position, and which means does not interfere with the handle performing its func-- tion as such.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the followingv detailed description, and one embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is a front perspective view of a box or case embodying the invention, with parts broken away, and with the cover closed and fastened for carrying; Fig. 2 is an end view thereof with the cover part-1y raised; Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section on the line 4-4 in Fig. 1, with the cover partly open and in initial engaging relation to the handle preparatory to closing the cover to complete the interengagement of the fastening means, and Fig. 4 is an enlarged section on the line 4- in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, I designates an article-carrying case, having a body 2 and a cover 3 hinged together, in the present instance at 4.

' A carrying handle 5 is pivotally attached to a retainer loop 6 secured to and projecting outward from the front wall of the case body. The handle 5 is preferably of suitable size to receive a hand and, in the present instance, comprises heavy wire-like stock bent into U-shape with its leg terminals turned in to form pintles which have engagement within open ends of the retainer loop 6. The loop 6 is preferably stamped from sheet metal with its body portion of U-form and with its legs outwardly flanged to provide feet which seat flat against the body wall and are secured thereto by electric welding, or in any other suitable manner. The pintle-receiving opening of the loop 6 is of transverse elongated form outwardly from the case body, so that the loop depth is greater than the diameter of the pintles to permit limited transverse movement of the pintles therein toward and away from the case body.

The cover 3 is provided on its front or free edge with a flange or wall 8 adapted to overlie the front wall of the body 2, and is of a length to extend past the loop member 6 when the cover is closed. This flange has a slot or opening 9 in register with and receiving the loop member 6 in the manner of a catch when the cover is in closed position. During a closing movement of the cover, the

handle 5 is projected through the flange slot 9 and guidesthe slot into catch engagement with the loop member 6, the handle during initial engagement of the flange therewith lying in upright position. against the front wall of the body, or with its free end adjacent with the free edge of said wall, as shown in Fig. 3;

To facilitate a projection of the handle through the flange slot during a closing movement of the cover, themarginal inner edge portion of the slot wall is turned inward to form an inclined inwardly directed lip EL'which engages the aligned rounded coacting edge of. the handle 5 in a manher to direct the lip between the hand and body wall upon a continued closing movement of the cover and to cause first the handle and then the loop 6 to be projected through the slot. A flexing of the flange takes place during this threading action, and it is, therefore, made sufliciently pliant for such purpose. It is apparent that when the slot reaches the member 6, it snaps thereover and lies at the inner side of the handle, the pintles of which are free to move to the outer end of the loop, so that the handle may assume a reclining position with respect to the body, as shown in Fig. 4.

During an initial engagement of the flange 8 and handle 5, the free'end of the handle is held slightly out from the body wall to which attached, due to its contact with a rib or struckout portion I I on said body, thus facilitating the camming of the free end of the handle into the slot 9 when the cover is forced down into interengaging coaction with the handle, as is apparent.

The flange is ribbed at opposite sides of the slot 9 for stiffening purposes, and the free edge of the flange without said slot is turned outwardly to form a finger-grip I2 to facilitate an outward springing of the flange from its catch engagement with the loop when opening the cover.

It is apparent with the use of my fastening means that the case cover may be easily opened from its fastened position by simply inserting the fingers of a hand back of the finger-grip I2 and springing the flange 8 outward sufficiently to disengage the member 6, after which the cover may be freely raised in the usual manner. To engage the fastening means upon a closing of the cover, the handle 5 is first placed in upright position in contact with the rib I i and the cover then forced down to cause the lip It to engage the upper edge of the handle and effect a camming of the handle through the slot 9, the closing movement of the cover continuing until said slot has passed entirely down the handle and into catch engagement with the loop member 6.

I wish it understood that my invention is not limited to any specific construction, arrangement or form of the parts, as it is capable of numerous modifications and changes without departing from the spirit of the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent, is:

1. In a case, a pair of hingedly connected members having outer and inner lapping walls at their free ends, a catch member on the inner wall, a handle pivotally projecting from said catch member, said outer wall having a slot therein for receiving said catch member and through which the handle is projected during a relative closing of said first members to guide the slot to the catch member.

2. In a case, a pair of hingedly connected members having inner and outer lapping walls at their free ends, a catch member fixed to the inner wall, and an element pivoted to the catch member, said outer wall being flexible and having a slot for engagement with said catch memher and which is guided thereto by said element during a relative closing movement of said first members.

3. In a case, a, pair of hingedly connected members having inner and outer lapping Walls at their free ends, a catch member projecting from the inner wall, and an element pivotally projecting from said catch member and adapted to be placed in reclining relation to said inner wall,

said outer wall having a slot with an inwardly directed lip portion at one edge adapted to have camming engagement with said element to force the element through the slot during a relative closing movement of said first members, said element upon a continued relative closing movement of said first members guiding the slotted portion of the outer wall into catch engagement with said catch member.

4. In a case, a body and a cover hingedly connected together, the cover having a flange at its free end for lapping the free end of the body, a loop member projecting outward from said body wall, a handle pivoted to said loop member and adapted to be disposed in reclining relation to said body Wall, said cover flange having an opening therein which, during a closing movement of the cover, receives said handle when the latter is in one position of its movement and is guided by the handle into fastening engagement with said loop member.

5. The combination with a, case having a body and a cover hinged together, the cover having at its front edge a slotted yielding flange for lapping the outer side of the front body wall of the body when the cover is in closed position, of a projecting member on said body wall adapted to have catch engagement with said flange slot, and a carrying element pivoted to said member and adapted to stand in position for its free end to register with an edge of said flange slot during a closing movement of said cover and to be cammed thereby into said slot and then to guide the slot into member-receiving position.

O'I'IO P. BEREIT. 

